Famed Louisville, Kentucky Hotel Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary and ‘Delicious’ History

When I was a student at the University of Louisville, I lived in a home in the historic Cherokee Road district. I had a neighbor named Carolyn. She was suffering from Alzheimer's, but could still remember, vividly, details from the early years of her professional life. Some of those memories involved the year's she spent working overnight at the Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville. Carolyn's stories were fantastic, legendary- just like the hotel itself, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

That hotel opened in October of 1923 at the intersection of Fourth Street and Broadway in downtown Louisville and quickly became "the finest stay and dine in Derby City."

Just three years after opening its doors to guests, The Brown Hotel unveiled what may be its most famous (and delicious) calling card. It was in 1926 that Chef Fred K. Schmidt created the Hot Brown Sandwich. You're likely familiar with the saying, "If you know, you know." Well, that's true of a Hot Brown. If you know, you know.

If you've never heard of a Hot Brown, take a look at this! Trust me. You're missing out and, once you see this, you won't be able to unsee it. You'll want one.

As iconic as The Brown Hotel is today, that wasn't always the case. Believe it or not, the hotel, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, had trouble attracting guests back in the 70s. In fact, that was a pivotal time for Brown Hotel and it struggled to keep its doors open.

Today, Brown Hotel is as extravagant and as popular as ever. It's a destination for visitors and travel vloggers from around the world.

Here's a recent tour inside from Doodle the Travel Bug, who hails it as "The Best Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky."

My neighbor Carolyn certainly agreed that the Brown was the best.  Because she battled Alzheimer's, Carolyn labored to remember basic details in her day-to-day life. However, anytime she talked about her days at the Brown, she was immediately back to life and her mind was completely reinvigorated with boundless, cherished memories from her nights spent there.

Carolyn LOVED that hotel. 100 years later, the city and its visitors still do as well.